Ohio Marriage Records

Ohio marriage records are a valuable source for those with roots in the Buckeye State. Genealogists use marriage records to link family branches and discover new information about their ancestors.

Ohio Basics

Early Ohio was called Ohio Country. Originally French, the area was transfered to the British in 1763 after the French and Indian War. Ohio came under United States' control after the American Revolution.

The land was so desirable that several eastern states asserted territorial claims on the area. New York and Virginia claimed the entire area; Connecticut claimed a northern portion. In 1787 Congress settled the dispute and set the boundaries by passing the Northwest Ordinance. Ohio then became known as the Northwest Territory. Development of Ohio began with the establishment of Marietta in 1788.

Ohio entered the Union in 1803. While it did not possess the required minimum population for statehood of 60,000, Congress recognized that it was growing fast enough for statehood. Over 11 million people now call it home.

Locating Ohio Marriage Records

Probate Court

Ohio marriages are filed with the Probate Court in the county where the marriage took place. Ohio does recognize common law marriage. Those marriages do not require a marriage license or ceremony.Some probate courts have online searchable databases. For example, the Cuyahoga County Probate Court has a database of marriage from 1810 through 1998.

Office of Vital Statistics

The State of Ohio Office of Vital Statistics maintains an abstract index for marriages beginning in 1954. These may be requested in writing for a search fee. Be aware that an abstract is not the actual marriage license, merely the index information to help you find the exact record.

Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com has a searchable database of Ohio Marriages from 1803 to 1900. Not all counties are included. Ancestry does charge a subscription to view the complete results, but simple searches are free. Many local libraries have Ancestry subscriptions that patrons may use for free.

Ohio Historical Society

The Ohio Historical Society has information on marriages for some counties and some dates. They will research and provide copies for a fee.

Cyndi's List

Cyndi's List of Genealogical Sites on the Internet catalogs websites of interest to genealogists, including a list of marriage records by state. You can check here for locations of Ohio marriage records.

Ohio GenWeb

The Ohio GenWeb is part of the USGenWeb Project, a volunteer network of free genealogy websites. The network contains a site for every county and state in the nation. Most, if not all, of these sites have references to marriages in the county.

FamilySearch Record Search

Record Search is a genealogy project of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There are many databases on the site. For Ohio marriages, you might browse the Diocese of Toledo Catholic Parish Records 1796-2004. While there is currently no searchable index, you can view the actual images of the parish records.